1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to lamp controllers, and more particularly to retrofitting an existing non-dimmable lamp with a controller that enables the lamp to be remotely dimmed and/or remotely turned on or off regardless of the state of the lamp's native on/off switch.
2. Background Art
Existing external lamp controllers are used to remotely control (i.e., dim, turn on/off) lamps that include only a simple on/off switch. In operation, a lamp that includes only a simple on/off switch is plugged into the external lamp controller, which is, in turn, plugged into an AC outlet. In this configuration, the on/off switch of the lamp must remain on, and power to the lamp is controlled by the external lamp controller. A user dims the lamp or turns the lamp on/off via a switch on the external lamp controller or via a remote control in communication with the external lamp controller. If, however, a user inadvertently turns the lamp off via the on/off switch on the lamp, the user cannot thereafter control the lamp via the external lamp controller until the switch on the lamp is switched to the “on” position.
Therefore, a need exists for an external lamp controller that, when connected to a lamp with a simple on/off switch, either bypasses the lamp on/off switch completely or incorporates the electrical connections of the lamp on/off switch into the operation of the external lamp controller.